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1st. One is taken from that goodness and gracionsness of his na- ture which we have been before considering and proposing unto you, and doth now properly in this place occur unto us. Suppose any of us had a business with a man whom we believe to be a good man, — a man that hath something of the image of God upon him, — and the matter is to us of great importance (it may be, as much as our lives are worth), and he can easily do it, without any prejudice or disad- vantage unto himself, with one word ; — can we cast a greater reflection upon this man, than to think he will not be willing to do it?- — that, merely to do us a mischief and spite, he will change his own nature, and act contrary to his own principles? Shall we, then, question the good-will of God? Shall we question, when all is resolved into his Will, that he will not give us out grace and mercy in time of need? Our Saviour presses this argument, Luke xi. 11-13, and in other places, where he brings the issue as near as possible ; telling us, it is not to be expected that a child, who finds nothing but his father's will to hinder, will mistrust his giving him bread. " And if ye, being evil," saith he, " know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" And when we can bring the concerns of God's church and people merely to his will, his own nature will supply us with arguments enough to confirm our expectation that he will do it.
2dly. There is another great argument, when all is brought to the sovereignty of the will of God, which is mentioned, Rom. viii. 32, " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up unto death for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Shall I question whether God will do this thing or no, considering this great instance of his will? It was his will to send Jesus Christ to die for poor sinners. He did not send him to die in vain, and that his death should be lost. If God were not willing to give out grace and mercy to sinners, wherefore did he send Jesus Christ? why did he give his own Son out of his bosom? why did he not spare him. and cause our iniquities to meet upon ourselves? Can God give a greater sign of his readiness to spare sinners than his dealing with Jesus Christ? That is the second thing which faith considers, when it comes unto God for relief in an overwhelming condition, — sovereign grace, that God is able, all things are resolved into his will.
3dly. Faith in this matter takes into consideration that one parti- cular property of the grace of God in Christ which is mentioned, Eph. iii. 8, " The unsearchable riches of Christ/' Saith faith, " There is more grace and more mercy too in God (for these are God's riches that are here intended) than possibly I can see and look into. Will the mercy that hath been declared unto my faith, the promises that have been discovered and revealed unto me, give me satisfaction?
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No, they will not. I cannot be satisfied with what I have received, with what discoveries have been made unto me of the grace of God." But, saith the soul, " There lie behind unsearchable riches of grace, which I can by no means conceive ; which all the world, or all the angels in heaven cannot find out." This is a great relief in an over- whelming condition.
4:thly. Once more : faith in such a condition learns to resolve former experiences, not into its own present condition, but into the unchange- ableness of God. And this one thing being wisely managed, is enough to relieve our souls under many overwhelming distresses that do befall us. The psalmist doth so, Ps. lxxvii. He had experience of God, verse 6, " I call to remembrance my song in the night." Compare it with that in Job xxxv. 10, " Where is God my maker, who" giveth songs in the night?" David intends some such intimation of the love and good-will of God as made him rejoice in the night season. But what is his state now? He tells you, verse 2, that it is the " day of his trouble ;" that " his sores ran in the night and cease not ; his soul refuses to be comforted." And, verses 7, 8, etc., " Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" In this grand and overwhelming distress where doth he find relief? He resolves his experience into the unchangeableness of God, verse 10, " This is my infirmity ; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." " He that gave me that former song in the night season, though now I am nothing but darkness, and ready to fear his mercy is quite gone for ever ; yet he is the same, and he will give in the like experience again: though I am changed, he is not."